Little Red Balloons
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: CHARACTER DEATH -beware tears- Booth and Brennan's daughter's reaction to her Daddy's death


**A/N: Based off the song Little Red Balloons. I felt inspired. Pardon my mistakes. I was sobbing while I wrote this. Then I made my mom cry and she couldn't beta it.**

**Disclaimer: NOT MINE**

_"Booth don't go." Temperance pleaded, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes, "You've done your time. Don't go back." She said, staring up at her husband._

_"Bones, Temperance... I have to. I have to do this for my country. It's my duty." Booth said, his heart breaking as he heard Parker turn up the TV so his little sister couldn't hear._

_"What about them? What about your family? What about Parker and Maggie?" Temperance asked as the tears fell and she pointed towards the living room. Twelve year old Parker was keeping his six year old half sister occupied in the living room._

_"They understand that I have to do this. I have to keep them safe." Booth told her._

_"Booth don't do this to them. Maggie turns seven in 2 months, she should be wondering what she's gonna get for her birthday, not if Daddy's coming home!" Temperance told him._

_"Bones, I'll come home. I always come home." Booth said and kissed her forehead, pulling her into his arms. _

**5 weeks later.**

Temperance, Parker and Maggie sat on the couch watching Clara Bow on the TV when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Parker said excitedly as he raced for the door. When he opened it to see two men in full military garb standing at attention.

"Hi there. I'm Colonel Harper. Is your mother available?" One man asked.

"BONES!" Parker called loudly, having adopted his father's name for his step-mother. Temperance paused the movie and left Maggie sitting on the couch, walking down the hall. Her knees went weak as she saw the men.

"No...no..." She whispered, her voice thick and tears falling rapidly.

"Ma'am I'm Luitenant Harper, this is Reverend Smith. Can we have a word in private?" Luitenant Harper asked and Parker took this as a que to go distract his little sister.

"Please tell me what you're here for?" Temperance asked, her voice shaking as she rested against the wall.

"We're sorry but Luitenant Seeley Booth, his rig was destroyed in a roadside bomb, there were no survivors." Colonel Harper said and Temperance's knees gave out. She fell heavily to the floor and began to cry.

At that time, six year old Maggie ran down the hall, her curly auburn hair bounced as she stopped in front of her mom, "Mommy what's wrong?" She asked and frowned.

"Oh Mags." Temperance pulled the little girl into her arms.

"He's gone ain't he? Dad's dead." Parker asked, casting a shadow over Temperance and Maggie.

"Yeah Parker. Daddy died." Temperance said and Maggie started to cry.

"Daddy's not coming home. He won't be here for my birthday ever again?!" Maggie asked and Temperance nodded. Maggie started sobbing, Temperance stood up and held her daughter in her arms. She wrapped her arms around Parker, who finally allowed the tears to fall and he sobbed into his step-mother's chest.

"If you gentlemen will excuse me, I need to take care of my children." Temperance said, putting on her best game face.

"Is Daddy is heaven with Sir Barks-a-lot?" Maggie asked as Temperance tucked her into bed that night. Temperance paused, it had always been Booth who fielded the children's questions about spirituality.

"Yeah baby. Daddy and Sir Barks-a-lot are in Heaven." Temperance said and kissed her daughter's forehead, "Sweet dreams Mags." She stood, getting ready to turn off the light.

"WAIT!" Maggie yelled.

"What, what is it?" Temperance asked with concern.

"We gots to say prayers!" Maggie said, climbing out of bed and kneeling by the bed.

"Alright. Go ahead." Temperance said and kneeled next to her.

"Dear Jesus, Thank you for this day, even though it was sad, it was good too cause Daddy got to go home to you." Maggie said, "So tell my Daddy that I love him. And Sir Barks-a-lot. And God Bless Mommy, Parker, Aunt Angela, Uncle Jack, Uncle Zack, Aunt Cam, Uncle Russ, Grandpa Brennan, Grandpa and Grandma Booth, Uncle Jared, Rebecca, All my friends, and the troops in Iraq where my Daddy was." Maggie then took a deep breath, "AMEN."

"Amen baby." Temperance hugged her daughter tightly and kissed her forehead, burying her head in Maggie's curls as she cried.

"Don't be sad Mama. Daddy's watchin' over us." Maggie said and kissed her cheek.

**3 more weeks later.**

"Wake up birthday girl." Temperance said as she turned on the lights in Maggie's room. It had been three weeks since Booth passed and the funeral had come and gone, though family hung around the house a lot, to make sure Temperance was ok with the kids.

"Yay!" Maggie woke up with a huge smile.

"C'mon. We're going out for breakfast. Parker's already ready." Temperance told her, swooping her up and placing her on the floor, "Get dressed then I'll do your hair."

Maggie came into Temperance's room ten minutes later wearing a shirt and shorts, "I's ready Mommy."

"Alright. Hop up Birthday Princess." Temperance patted the chair. Five minutes later and the family was loading themselves into the car. After breakfast Temperance decided to swing by the toy store, so Maggie could pick out her special birthday present. It was tradition that the kids got one special thing that they got to pick out on their birthday. The family of three walked into the toy store holding hands.

"What do you want Mags?" Parker asked as he looked around.

"I want balloons." Maggie said adamantly.

"Just balloons?" Temperance asked.

"Balloons and markers, the permanent kind. Oh and some string. Please." Maggie added as she looked sweetly from her brother to her mother.

"Alright Mags, if that's what you want." Temperance said, confused by her daughter's request.

"It is." So the family got the present and went home.

"Mommy can I go play in my room til my party?" Maggie asked and Temperance nodded. Maggie scurried off to her room, getting ready to set about her birthday task. She grabbed the red balloon she had gotten and pulled out a black marker. She began to write a note on the balloon. She wrote slowly, working hard to make her messy handwriting readable.

"_Dear Daddy, _

_How's heaven? Do you see Angles? Whats about Gramma Brennan? Sir Barks-a-lots? I bet it's pretty there. And you're teaching all the angels to sing Hot Blooded._

_I wish you could be here. It's my brithday, Daddy. I'm seven! Aint that big? _

_Tell God "Hi" and I LOVE YOU LOTS. I love you Daddy, ask God if you can home, ok?_

_Love you,_

_Maggie Elizabeth Booth"_

Maggie padded over to the window and tried to push it up, but it wouldn't budge, "PARKER!" She hollered and Parker sprinted into the room.

"What kid?" Parker asked.

"Can you open my window?" She asked and looked at her big brother.

"Sure Mags. Why?" Parker asked and walked over to open the window.

"I wrote a note to Daddy and I need to send it." She said pointed to the balloon.

"Oh. That's good Mags. Can I read it?" Parker asked.

Maggie shook her head, "No. This is between me and Daddy." She crossed her arms.

"Alright. Alright. I'll go, okay?" Parker held up his hands and backed away.

"Thank you Parker, I love you." She said and gave him a big smile. Parker nodded, "Me too."

When she was alone, Maggie walked over to the window and giving the balloon Butterfly kisses, she let it go.

**FOUR YEARS LATER.**

"Maggie Elizabeth wake up!" Temperance said and tickled the preteens sides.

"Moooooom." Maggie whined and turned over, pulling her pillow over her head.

"Just like your father. C'mon Mags. It's your birthday. You have to wake up." Temperance told her and grabbed another pillow, wacking Maggie's bottom with it.

"Fiiiine. I'll be up in a minute.. OKAY?" Maggie asked as she threw back the covers and got up. Pulling on a pair of jeans and her Foreigner shirt, she straightened her auburn locks and did her make up. Walking down the stairs to the kitchen where Parker was eating a bowl of cheerios.

"Hey Pizzaface." She told the seventeen year old as she got out the frozen waffles.

"Morning Butt Munch." Parker said and grinned at his little sister.

"Guys play nice." Brennan scolded as she entered.

"We are." They said together.

Maggie fixed her plate, topping her waffles with chocolate syrup and whip cream. She walked over to the table and sat down, staring out the window, remembering where her Dad taught her to ride her bike and where they talked about Heaven under the stars.

"That is disgusting." Parker made a face.

"It's my birthday. I can eat what I want!" Maggie cried, "MOM!"

"Parker be nice to her." Temperance scolded.

"Sorry Maggie." Parker said and looked down.

An hour later, Temperance and Maggie walked into the same old toy store, "Are you sure you want to shop here? We could go to the mall and you could get a new shirt or something." Temperance offered, believing her daughter had out grown the toys.

"I'm sure. This is fine." Maggie said and she walked around the toys. Grabbing a pack of magic markers, the permanent kind, string and a lone red balloon.

"What is the deal with that?" Temperance asked.

"Nothing. It's between me, Daddy and Parker." Maggie said and Temperance felt slightly sad, but relented to it.

That afternoon while Maggie was waiting for her extended family to arrive she sat in her room, writing on the balloon.

_"Dear Daddy,_

_How's it going in Heaven? Did you get my last balloon? It's my birthday today. I'm eleven. I'm almost grown. Tell everyone Hi and I love them, okay? It's been four years Daddy, don't the Angels know Hot Blooded yet? I want you to come home. I miss you Daddy. It's not fair that I can only see you in my dreams. _

_I'll be ok. I just miss you. So does Mom and Parker._

_Love forever,_

_Maggie Elizabeth Booth."_

That evening everyone sat in the kitchen talking about old times. Maggie sat in the hallway, holding her teddy bear that Booth had given her when she turned four.

"Does Maggie even remember Booth?" Maggie heard Angela ask her mom in a hushed voice.

"I don't know. She doesn't like to talk about it." Temperance replied.

Maggie curled her knees to her chest and cried silently. She remembered, she remembered a lot. She remembered her Daddy and how strong he was, how he could carry Parker in one arm and her in the other. How he'd give her under dogs on the swings. How he'd read her Cinderella and do all the funny voices. And when she fell off her bike he'd give her love and kisses, but he wouldn't let her quit trying.

"Mags. No tears." Parker sat down and wrapped an arm around his sister, "It's your birthday."

"I remember him Parker. I really do." Maggie cried.

"I know." Parker whispered.

**Thirteen years later.**

It was Maggie's twenty-fourth birthday. She had graduated from College two months ago and was living with her fiancee in Georgetown. She woke up early that morning, leaving Deryk sleeping. She walked into the old toy store and bought the exact three items she always bought. She then walked to Arlington where Booth was buried. She knelt on his grave and began her task.

_"Dear Daddy,_

_How are things in Heaven? Did you get my last balloon? I'm twenty four today Dad. I get it now that you aren't coming home, but you always do in my dreams. I'm getting married next July, I wish you could've met him. I'm an FBI agent Daddy and Parker's an Army Ranger... are you proud?_

_I wish you could be here to see my dreams come true. Well til my next balloon._

_I miss you Daddy._

_Love,_

_Maggie Elizabeth Booth."_

She kissed the balloon and let it go.

"Love you Daddy." She whispered and walked home.


End file.
